Jon Bon Jovi Donates $1 Million to Hurricane Relief

Nine months after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the East Coast, cleanup efforts are still underway. And they just received a financial shot in the arm from Jon Bon Jovi.

Introduced by New Jersey governor Chris Christie as people "who never take New Jersey away from themselves," Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea made an appearance in Sayreville, N.J. -- the rocker's hometown -- to survey hurricane damage and present the Sandy Relief Fund with a check for $1 million.

"I know that this million dollars sounds like a lot, but it's really just a drop in the bucket," Bon Jovi explained to the crowd. "What I like to call the 'power of we,' the coming together -- that means you, me, us -- we are taking a step today to rebuild lives."

Perhaps because of Christie's presence at the event, Bon Jovi felt the need to point out that his appearance was "not political." Instead, he stressed, "It's emotional, because I grew up here. I went to school here. I met my wife here. And in the days following the storm, when I visited these streets and spoke to the residents, one thought that came to me time and time again was, What can I do?"

Including Bon Jovi's gift, the Relief Fund has raised more than $38 million since the storm hit last October, with donations coming in from nearly 30,000 individuals.